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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mate — a friend
  11. court — of a king
  12. charge — electricity
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fall — to drop
  17. charge — a price
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. charge — in control
  23. court — for sport
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com